Daily Reflection – 5/10/2024
Sacred Scripture
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”(John 16:20-23)
Reflection
As Jesus approached his crucifixion, he tried to help his disciples. He knew that they would be faced with a huge challenge when they saw him die on the cross. To prepare them, he explained that this was part of the great story that he had called them into. Their grief would be turned to joy, and the story would take on a whole new meaning.
You and I have come in later in the story. We know about Jesus’ resurrection! We understand that the victory of the cross changed humankind and left its promise for all of us.
But at times we lose sight of God’s story. We forget that our joy comes from Jesus’ salvation, not from the story that the world offers us. Losing focus, we can begin to lose our trust that God is with us. Some even despair and live their lives around false prophets. But there is only the victory of the cross that truly opens us to eternal life.
If we can try to center our life in Jesus’ victory, we will know a joy, a stability, and a peace that nothing in this world can take away.
We need to make God our daily sustenance. We need to understand what is expected of us. We need to accept that every single one of us has a purpose and to fulfill that purpose, we need to find it and make it part of who we are,
How do we do that? It comes only through a deep connection with our God, one built on and sustained by a deep reservoir of prayer and daily living His word.
True faith requires work on our part. It is not simply prayer, nor is it simply studying the word of God, nor going to church, or availing ourselves of the sacraments. It is all of those combined with living out and standing up for our faith.
At times, in today’s world, that seems as if it’s a daunting task. But his disciples lived and taught their faith even to the point of martyrs’ deaths. The Easter victory of the Lord Jesus gives us courage, strength, and confident hope in the face of suffering and death. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ our fears are laid to rest. His resurrection is total and final triumph over death, and for us peace and joy in the confident hope that we, too, will be raised to everlasting life with Christ.
We will have trials in this present age -. but, through the eyes of faith, we know the outcome – complete victory over sin, suffering, and death in Jesus Christ.
His word, our prayer, our lives combined with one eternal and immoveable reality. Jesus is always with us. Today Jesus is certain to come to us. Never forget that you are part of an epic story. You are one of the “great cloud of witnesses” whose lives have been changed by the Lord (Hebrews 12:1). You aren’t just a passive observer; you’re an active participant. You have a role to play today in moving this story forward.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord, I surrender my anguish and burdens to You. I unite them to Your Cross and trust that You will be there in all things walking with me through my life. May I keep my eyes on the goal and rejoice in Your steadfast love. Jesus, I trust in You.”
Daily Note
Jesus wants his disciples to know and believe that after the difficult days of his crucifixion and death, new life will come forth for them. Jesus also wants us to know and believe that after our difficult days, we also will experience new life. Once again, we will see him and experience His presence with us. We will be able to rejoice when Jesus gifts us with new life and hope.
